Fuel line lock assembly for outboard motors



Aug. 21, 1956 F. R. BENSON HAL FUEL. LINE LOCK ASSEMBLY FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed April 9, 1954 INVENTOR. F2070- xe. aE/vso/v JAMES 4 5 ATTOEA/EVJ United States Patent FUEL LINE LOCK ASSEMBLY FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Floyd R. Benson and James L. Barneburg, Klamath, Calif.

Application April 9, 1954, Serial No. 422,202

1 Claim. (Cl. 138-89) This invention relates to fuel line lock assemblies for outboard motors of the types which have detachable fuel tanks.

An object of the invention is to provide a lock assembly for the fuel line coupling of an outboard motor which will prevent the unauthorized attachment of a fuel supply to the motor. The weight of various outboard motors varies from fifty to one hundred pounds and it is not always convenient to remove the motor from the boat when the boat is to be left unattended. The usual practice in such case is to detach the fuel line from the motor and place the tank and fuel line combination in a secure place. This does not prevent an unauthorized person from obtaining another fuel tank and attaching it to and operating the motor. The present invention, however, would prevent the attachment of any fuel tank to the motor and thus render it inoperative to all those who do not have a key for the lock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fuel line lock assembly for outboard motors which is of simple and inexpensive construction and which may be easily and quickly attached to and detached from the motor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description considered in conjunction with the attached drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lock assembly of the present invention in place upon a fuel line coupling of an outboard motor.

Figure 2 is a view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a view taken along the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a view of the assembly of Figure 3 with the locking mechanism in the unlocked position.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the device of the present invention as removed from a fuel line coupling of an outboard motor and showing the coupling in detail.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, 1 generally designates an outboard motor, of conventional design, having a fuel line coupling generally designated 2 on the side thereof. The coupling 2 is of the type generally found upon outboard motors equipped with a detachable fuel tank and consists of a plate 3 through which a fuel line 4 and an air line 5 extend and terminate in nipples 6 and 7, respectively, which project from the outer surface of the plate 3, and a guide and latch pin 8 which projects outwardly from the plate 3 and is provided with a circumferential groove 9 adjacent its free end. The lock assembly of the present invention, generally designated 10, is operatively connected to the coupling 2 for preventing unauthorized attachment of a fuel supply to the motor 1.

The lock assembly 10 includes a casing or block 11 which may be fabricated of hard rubber, metal, or plastic and is provided in one end with three apertures which extend inwardly from one end and conformably receive the nipples 6 and 7 and the latch pin 8 respectively. The

z aperture which receives the latch pin 8 is a bore which communicates with a larger chamber which extends inwardly from the opposite end of the casing 11. The sockets for receiving the nipples 6 and 7 terminate intermediate the ends of the casing 11 to close the nipples when the casing is inserted thereon.- When the casing is so positioned, the end portion of the latch pin 8 which is provided with the circumferential groove 9 is positioned within the chamber 12.

An additional element of the lock assembly 10 is a spring pressed detent or dog 13 which is positioned within the chamber 12 and connected to the casing 11 for movement into and out of engagement with the groove 9 of the pin 8. The dog 13 is pivoted intermediate its ends upon a pivot pin 14 which is fixed in the sides of the casing 11. One end of the dog 13 is provided with a tooth 15 which engages the groove 9 of the pin 8 and the other end of the dog 13 is provided with an indented seat which receives one end of a coiled spring 16. The other end of the spring 16 is implaced in an indented seat in the wall of the casing 11, the spring 16 being so positioned as to bias the dog to bring the tooth 15 into engagement with the groove 9.

A rotatable tumbler 17, constituting a portion of a lock assembly 10, is carried by the casing 11 and is engageable with the dog 13 upon rotation in one direction to cause movement of said dog out of engagement with the groove 9. The tumbler 17 is of the common key actuable type and is positioned within the aperture 12 with the end provided with the keyhole projecting exteriorly of the casing 11. The other end of the tumbler 17 carries an eccentric projection 18 which bears upon the end portion of the dog 13, engaged by the spring 16, when the tumbler 17 is rotated, by means of the key 19, to depress the spring-engaged end of the dog 13 and raise the tooth 15 out of engagement with the groove 9, as shown in Figure 6.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that the lock assembly of the present invention may be readily attached to and readily withdrawn from the fuel line coupling of the type of outboard motor here under consideration and that when so attached to the coupling will effectively pre vent the connection of a fuel tank to the motor by anyone who does not possess a key to the locking mechanism. To attach the lock assembly, the fuel line must first be removed from the coupling 2. The assembly may then be slipped upon the coupling without the use of the key 19, by simply aligning the respective receiving sockets and the bore with the nipples 6 and 7 and the pin 8 and sliding the assembly 10 home. The beveled leading face of the tooth 15 will automatically slide over the conical end of the pin 8 as the assembly 10 is moved toward the coupling 2 and as soon as the tooth 15 has passed over the conical end of the pin 8, the spring 16 will cause it to drop into locking engagement in the groove 9, securing the assembly 10 to the coupling 2. The abutting engagement of the abrupt faces of the tooth 15 and the wall of the groove 9 will prevent the removal of the assembly 10 from the coupling 2 until the tumbler 17 is rotated by the key 19 releasing the tooth 15 from the groove 9. Any attempt to remove the lock assembly by force would damage or destroy the fuel line, making extensive repairs necessary and further discouraging the unauthorized appropriation of motors equipped with the device.

What is claimed is:

In combination, a lock for the tank fuel coupling of an outboard motor comprising a plate, an air supply nipple, a fuel supply nipple, and a latch pin projecting from one side of said plate, a block having one end thereof provided with sockets sealingly receiving the air and fuel nipples and a bore passing the latch pin with said one side of the plate engaging said one end of the block, a chamber within the block into which the bore opens and into which the latch pin extends, a spring pressed dog mounted Within said chamber and normally retainably engaging the latch pin in the chamber, a rotary 5 member projecting into said chamber, said rotary member having an eccentric engageable with the dog upon rotation of said member in one direction to move the dog out of engagement with the latch pin and in the other direction to permit the dog to disengage from the 10 latch pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Best Apr. 17, Stone Aug. 8, Andrews July 5, Katz Sept. 29, McEneaney Jan. 5, 

